{"id":4482,"date":"2026-07-21T22:48:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T22:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/?p=4482"},"modified":"2026-07-21T22:48:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T22:48:56","slug":"denny-sanford-leaves-legacy-in-healthcare-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/?p=4482","title":{"rendered":"Denny Sanford leaves legacy in healthcare and beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"

T. Denny Sanford\u2019s philanthropy was heartfelt and impactful in ways that will endure for generations. This has always been the genius of Sanford\u2019s generosity. His efforts on behalf of health<\/a>care came with a beginning, but no end<\/p>\n

His oft-repeated motto, \u201cAspire to inspire before you expire,\u201d does not actually come with an expiration date. Sanford\u2019s gifts to the world will maintain their usefulness<\/p>\n

It was similar to the way Sanford himself saw his role in life, particularly at that stage where philanthropy became his focus. Make yourself useful<\/p>\n

This personal commitment was at the core of a legacy in healthcare that trampled both geographic and scientific boundaries<\/p>\n

During an interview with Miles Beacom, Chairman and CEO of PREMIER Bankcard, for Sanford\u2019s induction into the South Dakota Hall of Fame, Beacom asked Sanford about his motivation for giving. The philanthropist\u2019s response was typically down-to-earth<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are on earth to provide for other people, not just ourselves and our families,\u201d Sanford told Beacom. \u201cWe all have the opportunity to work a little bit harder and help someone else, not just ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the rural towns of the Upper Midwest to the villages of Ghana, Africa, Sanford\u2019s efforts to provide for other people have played an indispensable role in helping overcome the persistent challenges associated with bringing healthcare to those in need of it<\/p>\n

His unprecedented philanthropy went well beyond providing dollars to aid in the conventional bedside delivery of healthcare, though that would have been plenty enough to establish an indelible legacy<\/p>\n

In addition to the nearly $2 billion donated to Sanford Health, he was a committed champion to other healthcare and research institutions, children\u2019s causes and education initiatives<\/p>\n

Within the region, this giving manifested itself in providing the renique blend of large-scale projects. Sports arenas, new healthcare facilities, research centers and playing fields began appearing on the landscape<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we always said is that at the end of every single decision we make is a patient,\u201d said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health. \u201cAnd for Denny, at the end of every gift is a patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

These efforts have established Sanford Health as a force in modern medicine, empowering clinicians and researchers to think big and pursue bold, innovative endeavors at a pace not otherwise possible<\/p>\n

\u201cHe made a comment a few years ago that he\u2019d rather live a life of significance than a life of success,\u201d Beacom said. \u201cI said, \u2018Denny what\u2019s the difference?\u2019 He said, \u2018A lot of people are successful, but a lot of people, they don\u2019t share those things and make the world a better place. If you\u2019re able to do that, you live a life of significance.\u2019 And I thought, \u2018Wow, that\u2019s pretty impressive.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanford was often reminded that his generosity made the transformation to significance. The big-scale projects he helped bring about were ultimately going to make people\u2019s lives better, one person at a time<\/p>\n

In one instance a young woman who was expecting a baby spotted him and approached with her father<\/p>\n

\u201cShe introduces herself, introduces her father to me,\u201d Sanford remembered. \u201cAnd she said, \u2018You saved my life. You saved my baby\u2019s life. We were diagnosed as having incurable problems in this pregnancy and we\u2019re likely to both die and we moved over to Sanford Health and you saved our life.\u2019 And the tears were flowing \u2013 our tears were flowing down. That\u2019s significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jaxon and Jeren<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

Jaxon and Jeren Scheff both live with the effects of a rare<\/a> genetic disorder. For Jaxon, the disorder has caused breathing complications and vision impairment. For Jeren, it\u2019s been more severe. He was born blind and struggled to breathe. They were close to losing him a few times. He still has chronic respiratory issues that have led to 31 surgeries<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Jaren was born, he clearly had difficulty significantly breathing through his nose and had a rare condition that we call pyriform aperture stenosis,\u201d said Patrick Munson, M.D., a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist at Sanford. \u201cBasically it\u2019s a squished up nose. You can\u2019t breathe through it. And in a young infant that\u2019s really important.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

When Jaxon was born with breathing issues, the equipment needed to care for him didn\u2019t exist in the area. When Jeren came along, it did \u2013 thanks to the Sanford Children\u2019s Castle of Care<\/p>\n

\u201cThey didn\u2019t have pediatric specialists when Jaxon was born,\u201d said their mother, Jennifer Scheff. \u201cWhen Jeren was born, we had this \u2013 we had the Castle, we had pediatric specialists and pediatric ENTs who knew exactly what to do in a timely manner.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Before the existence of Sanford Children\u2019s, the Scheff family would not have been able to care for their sons locally. An incredibly challenging part of their lives would have been significantly more daunting<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you are going through that specialized care, you need your family,\u201d Jennifer said. \u201cYou need that support here. They become more than just the providers. They become a part of your family and they also become big advocates for your kids.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

When interviewed for a segment on Sanford Children\u2019s, Jeren and Jaxon were asked to talk about their care at Sanford. Before getting to that, however, Jeren had something he needed to say<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, guess what? Fun little fact,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I was young, I thought Denny Sanford lived in the Sanford Castle. I thought since it was a castle, I used to think that he was the king.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

The History of Denny Sanford\u2019s Philanthropy\u202f<\/b><\/h2>\n

It all began in 2004 with a contribution of $16 million to Sioux Valley Hospital. In the decades since then, Sanford continued to share his fortune with the health system that bears his name<\/p>\n

A look at the\u00a0timeline\u00a0of his major contributions:<\/p>\n

2025: Sanford Black Hills Medical Center \u2013 $300\u00a0million<\/b><\/h3>\n

To help\u00a0establish the Sanford Black Hills Medical Center campus in Rapid City, South Dakota, a new state-of-the-art medical center campus to expand access to specialty care and services including an emergency department, ICU, oncology center, comprehensive women\u2019s health including a labor and delivery unit, and children\u2019s services<\/p>\n

2021: Sanford\u00a0Virtual Care Center\u00a0\u2013 $350\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

To create one of the world\u2019s leading virtual care centers, with a focus on providing more accessible care in rural and underserved areas of the Midwest. The initiative aims to transform rural care delivery, improving access to affordable, high-quality healthcare for generations to come<\/p>\n

2021:\u00a0Graduate Medical Education & Community Health\u00a0\u2013 $300\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

The $300 million initiative includes a significant expansion of graduate medical education. Working with its academic partners, Sanford Health is creating eight new graduate medical residencies and fellowships in critical specialty areas. The gift includes the addition of 18 outdoor turf fields \u2013 an area covering 173 acres \u2014 at the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls<\/p>\n

2019:\u00a0Enhancing Health Care for Veterans\u00a0\u2013 $25\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

$25\u00a0million in 2019 to support\u202fPHASER\u202f(pharmacogenomic testing for veterans), a program created by Sanford Health in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, that offers free pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing to all veterans through the VA\u2019s healthcare system and Sanford Health<\/p>\n

2018: Sanford Health Hospice Care\u00a0\u2013 $1\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

To support an endowment for Ava\u2019s House by Sanford, a multigenerational hospice facility that offers one of only four inpatient hospice programs for children and young adults<\/p>\n

2014: Sanford\u00a0Imagenetics\u00a0\u2013 $125\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

To launch\u202fSanford Imagenetics, the first<\/a> program of its kind in the nation to fully integrate genetics and genomic medicine into primary care for adults<\/p>\n

2011:\u00a0Edith Sanford Breast Center\u00a0\u2013 $100\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

To launch the\u202fEdith Sanford Breast Center initiative dedicated to unlocking each woman\u2019s genetic code to advance prevention and treatment of breast cancer. The gift also allowed for the construction of the Edith Sanford Breast Center in Sioux Falls, integrating the initiative\u2019s research into patient care<\/p>\n

2007:\u00a0Transformational Gift: Sanford Health\u00a0\u2013 $400\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

To open a chain of clinics around the world (today known as Sanford World Clinic)\u00a0from Costa Rica to New Zealand partnering with communities to advance research and education and build a sustainable infrastructure in areas of need. This gift also helped launch\u202fThe Sanford Project, a research effort to cure type 1 diabetes, and spurred growth in all areas of\u202fSanford Research<\/p>\n

2006: University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine \u2013 $20\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

To enhance the scope, reputation, re fostering the further growth and development of the pediatrics department<\/p>\n

2004: Sioux Valley Hospitals & Health System \u2013 $16\u00a0million\u202f<\/b><\/h3>\n

To build a state-of-the-art, stand-alone children\u2019s hospital in Sioux Falls<\/p>\n

\u201cAs much as he has transformed healthcare through his decision to continue to give and invest in Sanford Health, I think in that way and more he\u2019s transformed what philanthropy means in the healthcare space,\u201d Gassen said. \u201cI believe he\u2019s transformed what philanthropy means in the community of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and far beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

A kiss and a hug<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

Kendra Gottsleben has a disease known as mucopolysaccharidosis, Type VI (MPS VI). She was diagnosed with this rare disease at age 4. Because there is no cure, weekly infusions will likely be a reality for her entire life. When she was younger, she had to go to the Twin Cities for treatment<\/p>\n

\u201cSioux Falls and Sanford have become a bigger and bigger rare disease spot,\u201d Gottsleben said. \u201cThey are filling a void. It is amazing and phenomenal.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

There was a day when Laura Davis-Keppen, M.D., who has treated Gottsleben, was the only geneticist and the only pediatric endocrinologist in the state<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople like Kendra, if she had not been able to get her enzyme therapy, would not be able to live here,\u201d Dr. Davis-Keppen said. \u201cNow she has blossomed before our eyes when she started getting the enzyme therapy. It\u2019s exciting to see that there are therapies like this that change the course of somebody\u2019s life. She\u2019s just an incredible advocate for rare disease. She\u2019s really an amazing example of medicine and how we can treat rare disease that we couldn\u2019t have done 20 years ago. To see someone benefit from this is awesome.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Gottsleben is a national spokesperson for rare diseases and a published author. She has also been part of the clinical trial for Naglazyme, the enzyme that keeps her going<\/p>\n

Her message to Sanford researchers: \u201cYou need to know that the patients, if they could, would give you a big kiss and a hug, because when you\u2019re in the rare disease space, anybody that is taking years and years trying to find a treatment for one rare disease is unbelievable. What you\u2019re doing is good. It\u2019s helping us. It\u2019s making us live as a life as best we can.\u201d<\/i><\/p>

Denny Sanford Photo by Sanford Health<\/figcaption>

Humble start\u202f<\/b><\/h2>\n

Given Sanford\u2019s humble beginnings, thinking outside what at the time was a very small box was a necessity to get ahead in life<\/p>\n

His home as a youngster was a 700-square-foot apartment in working-class east St. Paul, Minnesota. His mother, Edith, died of breast cancer when he was 4 and his father, William, raised him and his older brother<\/p>\n

Over the years Sanford often told a story \u2013 which has since then been frequently repeated by others \u2013 about how he ended up attending the University of Minnesota, where he graduated with a degree in psychology in 1958<\/p>\n

His original intent after graduating from St. Paul Central High School \u2013 where he\u2019d been an indifferent student more concerned with his part-time jobs than his grades \u2013 was to join the Navy<\/p>\n

He went to a going-away party for a friend about that time, however, and got in a fight involving several others. It likely would have been handled much differently today, but in the early 1950s in St. Paul the brawling earned him a 90-day jail sentence<\/p>\n

He later unveiled a proposal to the judge who put him in there in the first place<\/p>\n

\u201cIt turned out to be one of the best things in my life,\u201d Sanford said. \u201cI said, \u2018Judge, you gave me the best wake-up call I could ever have. If you let me out, I\u2019ll go to college.\u2019 I had no intention of going to college before getting in trouble. And he said, \u2018If you can get into the University of Minnesota or some other college, I\u2019ll think about it.\u2019 So I applied. My high school grades were not very good so I had to start on scholastic probation \u2013 and I made it through four-plus years and got a degree in psychology.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Denny was 20 and in college, his father died of heart disease. Though gone from his life far too early, the elder Sanford provided an inspiring example that Denny never forgot<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the most caring person I ever met,\u201d Sanford told the Horatio Alger Society. \u201cHe never graduated high school because he had to help support his family. He was very giving, and I think my ideas about philanthropy, which is such an important part of my life today, came from him.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating from Minnesota, Sanford took a sales job for Armstrong Cork Co., and quickly became one of the company\u2019s best and brightest. When he didn\u2019t get a $50-a-month pay raise he felt he\u2019d earned, however, he went out on his own<\/p>\n

In the 1960s he established Contech Inc., a national company based in Minneapolis that manufactured sealants, coatings and adhesives. In 1972 he took the company public at $5 a share. In 10 years he sold it at $35 a share and became a multimillionaire<\/p>\n

With two sons in college, he made a futile attempt at retirement at age 47 but was back in the Twin Cities a few years later, establishing a venture capital company, Threshold Ventures, that provided financing to young entrepreneurs<\/p>\n

In 1986, he bought a struggling bank in Sioux Falls as a favor to a friend. He changed the name to First Premier Bank and eventually added Premier Bankcard<\/p>\n

The success of these companies allowed Sanford to begin contemplating more transformational donations to causes he held dear. Ultimately this led first to a $16 million donation to what is now known as Sanford Children\u2019s Castle of Care in Sioux Falls, but it was just a beginning<\/p>\n

In 2007, Sanford pledged an unprecedented $400 million \u2013 then the largest gift to a healthcare system in U.S. history \u2013 to help transform what was Sioux Valley Hospitals, a small regional provider at the time, into what Sanford Health is today<\/p>\n

Sanford Health now has 55,000 employees and serves more than two million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated health system has a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization\u2019s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes 92 retail pharmacies, including Sanford and Lewis Drug pharmacies with locations in 6 states, and more than 300 pharmacists.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Denny\u2019s gift, it transformed our worldview and our expectations of ourselves,\u201d said Becky Nelson, an RN and retired senior vice president and COO of Sanford Health. \u201cWe were going to be sure that we were doing things that were beyond what a community health system could do. It transformed our whole culture with the attitude that \u2018we can.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Running to the Castle<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

Melissa Olivier is a breast cancer survivor who remembers pulling up to the Edith Sanford Breast Center and thinking she should not be there at her age. She was 33 and a mom whose daughter Lena was born 10 weeks early with complete heart block \u2013 a congenital disorder that keeps her heart from pumping blood normally<\/p>\n

Keely Hack, M.D., an oncologist for Sanford Health, was there on the front line with Olivier, who needed treatment but also assurance that she\u2019d be OK for her children<\/p>\n

\u201cMelissa isn\u2019t just a breast cancer patient,\u201d Dr. Hack said. \u201cShe is a person with a whole life and a family who depends on her. What can we do to get rid of this cancer and also keep you as healthy as you can be, to continue to do the things that you need to do in your daily life with and for your family?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

At Sanford Children\u2019s with her daughter, and for her own cancer treatment, Olivier gained insight into the commitment of her family\u2019s providers and the level of care she and her family received<\/p>\n

\u201cOur story is not done,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have a purpose and we are here to share that purpose. I\u2019ve become very passionate about Sanford Hospital and about everything that Sanford has really provided us. It makes me want to tear up just thinking about it. They truly deep-down care. I can\u2019t even describe the care we\u2019ve gotten.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

For the Oliviers, Sanford Health has become a safe and trusted part of their lives<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we have little girls that dress up in princess dresses and crowns when they come to the Castle,\u201d Hack said. \u201cWhen a child runs into the Castle instead of running away from it, I\u2019d say \u2018Yeah, we\u2019re in the right place.\u2019\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Sanford\u2019s legacy<\/b><\/h2>\n

In those spaces where progress arrives only with great human effort, long-term insight and considerable financial might, Sanford was a loyal companion who listened closely to those who have a vivid picture of the future of healthcare in the region and the unique challenges that will come with it<\/p>\n

As with so many other Sanford gifts over the decades, the rural healthcare initiative is a patient-focused attempt to solve a difficult problem<\/p>\n

\u201cNear and dear to my heart is the gift that he made to this organization for virtual care to enable us to move forward to a new frontier of medicine,\u201d Gassen said. \u201cThis is going to allow us to make good on a commitment that will be able to deliver world-class care everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rural healthcare initiative would be just one example of Sanford establishing confidence in those around him. It was a necessary core value in securing his wild level of success in business and even more so in building Sanford Health<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to be a person whom others trust and respect,\u201d he told the Horatio Alger Society. \u201cThe better we are at creating a reputation for trust and respect, the better off we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sustaining that culture will be part of a future made more inspiring by Sanford\u2019s willingness to devote his time, energy and fortune to healthcare. The nearly $2 billion he has gifted has come with an encouragement to think big and trust others\u2019 commitment to a shared vision<\/p>\n

The result is a future where Sanford\u2019s legacy encourages others to continue to aspire to inspire before they expire<\/p>\n

\u201cMost physicians can only dream of what it would be like to practice not only on the cutting edge of medical advancement but also working to fundamentally change how patients are treated,\u201d said Eric Larson, M.D., a Sanford Health physician. \u201cThe creation of this environment does not occur spontaneously. It requires great leadership and generosity and a level not previously seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note to journalists: You can find more information, including photos and videos, on our website<\/p>\n

\u2026<\/p>\n

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T. Denny Sanford\u2019s philanthropy was heartfelt and impactful in ways that will endure for generations. This has always been the genius of Sanford\u2019s generosity. His efforts on behalf of healthcare came with a beginning, but no end<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[191,195,193,194,192],"class_list":["post-4482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health-news","tag-denny","tag-healthcare","tag-leaves","tag-legacy","tag-sanford"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4482"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4483,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4482\/revisions\/4483"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}